Redemption for Edward
by kit13
Summary: I'm a huge Edward fan.  I've been wondering, what would've happened if Edward came back instead of running to the Volturri?  Can bella forgive him? the story starts with Edward finding out about bella's cliff diving adventure & ends at the end of new moon
1. wallow

I sat crumpled and broken in a corner of this stinking hole of a room farthest away from the window thinking only of her. My head lay half way in a puddle of water that had slowly began collecting as a result of the newly formed hole in the roof the last rain storm had created. I listened to it's steady rhythm splash onto the floor near my head and could hear her name in it's beat, Bella, Bella, Bella┘ In the time that I had spent with Bella she had become an extension of my body, she had become my heart pulsing life, love, and humanity through my veins. She had intoxicated me elevating me to a permanent high. Her voice, her laughter, her touch, her dark bewitching eyes, wide and innocent, with the power to pierce me to the very core of my being┘ but I had to stop there, I could not bear to think any more of her. 

When I left her I felt like my heart had been torn from my chest leaving a gaping , ragged hole. There was nothing, I had been left desolate and alone. No reason to exist or to get up or do anything anymore, and so I retreated to this place, far away from anyone or anything that could remind me of her.

My once bronze hair had become matted and dull. I had not changed clothes for so long I could not remember. They hung from my hard white body limply, the color and pattern had faded and a fine layer of dust had collected on them, though there were no holes or undone seams, that would require some kind of activity, which lets face it, I did little of these days. I simply sat here in the dark, in my torment watching the bodies of rats and mice decay and wishing that I could do the same, wishing that I could simply fade away into nothing. I had truly become a monster of myth and horror, a revolting creature who only crawled from dirt and slumber to feed on blood and then to return and stay as still as a stone gargoyle transfixed on my own misery.

As I lay there I felt a low hum coming from my back pocket. I rolled over and pulled out a small silver object and placed it to my ear.

"Edward, are you there?" It was Rosalie

"What is it Rosalie." Her falsely sweet voice was the last thing that I wanted to hear right now.

"I'm sorry Edward, we didn't know if we should call or not, actually Emmett is on his way down to find you right now." she hesitated

"What do you want, what is the matter?" She had better have a good reason for calling.

"Well, it's about Bella, actually it's about Alice. She had a vision, and I know that you told her not to pry but it just happened and , well, it seems that you little human has gone and thrown herself off a cliff."

What! I tried to say the words but my breath had caught in my chest, pain constricting and twisting in the hollow hole where my heart used to lie.

"When, when did this happen?" I stammered

"We aren't sure yet, Alice is on her way to investigate right now, but... Edward I hope your happy. Everyone told you that this would happen. We told you that you shouldn't have left her like that, but you know best don't you because your one of the oldest. You went and uprooted us and made us leave our home for nothing!"

"So, she jumped off a cliff?" Automatically thoughts of Esme came to mind. Esme who after having been so overcome with the grief of losing her baby had jumped to what she thought would be her death.

"Yes Edward, Alice saw her just outside of La Push on the ocean cliffs and then she jumped, but she never saw her come back up."

I didn't say anything more. Instead I walked outside to the front of the shack I had been in. I crushed the small phone in my hand and watched it crumble into a garbage can.

What had I done. I had left to protect her, to keep her safe; to let her have a chance at a normal human life. Not this, not like this. Not my Bella. Her small fragile body would never again warm my skin. I would no longer be able to watch her face rush with blood when she blushed. I could not stand it, it could not be true! And just when I was going back. I had already decided that I could take no more of this hell hole. I would go back and do whatever it took to win back her trust, her love. If only I had gone sooner, I could have stopped her. I should have been there for her, I should have been able to protect her. From what? From my kind? From me? It was me, it was my fault, I did this to her. I didn't care anymore what the reasons were for my leaving. I had to be with her again, I had to know for myself, to confirm that what I had heard was actually the truth. If Bella was... dead, I needed to know. I needed to make plans, because I would not live in a world without her in it. And so I did the only thing that I could think of, I left.


	2. The phone call

It took me a total of two days to get back to Forks. I rode the red eye in at about 3:45 in the morning. I didn't have a car so I ran the rest of the distance from Port Angeles down to Forks. It was amazing to me how at home I felt here. I had traveled to so many different places throughout the years. Perhaps it was the fact that there were so many good memories for me here that I felt so at home. 

I checked my watch again; 4:30. I went right to Bella's house to investigate, but I stopped when I saw Carlisle's car parked in the driveway.

"Alice, damn". I muttered under my breath

I'll have to come back. If she sees that I'm here she could really mess things up for me. If Bella were in fact dead I didn't want anyone from the family trying to stop me from going to Volterra. I think that I could give Alice the slip, that is until she visualized where I'd be next. If she were able to let Jasper or Emmett know where to find me though, that would definatley cause me some trouble. Especially if they were together.

I decided to go hunting instead. Then perhaps I would just call the house once it was a little later in the morning. I started out heading to one of our favorite hunting spots, but instead I ended up in Bella's and my meadow. The memories here were incredibly potent. They doubled me over as I thought of her. I groped for the nearest tree for support as I slumped down to the ground, holding my face in my hands. She couldn't be gone, not really. If there was a God surely he would not take her from me like this. I always knew that someday this would happen, but it always seemed so far away. I had sat and romanticized over how it would end. Someday there would be an old withered Bella quietly sleeping before me. Completely at peace, the result of having lived a full and happy life. And I her Romeo, soon to follow. Never to be parted from her again.

But this, I shook my head at the horror of it. Perhaps it had been too late to ever save her. Maybe the time to have walked away was not after that fateful night on her birthday. The time to have walked away should have been when I had first met her. If I had stayed in Denali like I had first planned to that would have been better. When I had decided to "let the chips fall where they may" so to speak, I had forever bound our fates as one. I had decided then that I could not be without her, I was far to selfish to stay away.

Truely starcrossed lovers, I thought. I was a fool, plain and simply. I had wasted so many months. Months that could have been spent with her, together.

I couldn't waste anymore time here, I had to know if she was okay. I called from a payphone at a gas station just outside of town so that no one would recognize me.

"Swan residence" A male voice came from the other line.

"Yes, I need to speak with Chief Swan please." I tried to keep myself composed

"He's not here" the voice said

"I'm sorry, this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I need to get in touch with him, may I ask where he is."

"He's as the funeral" the voice sounded harsher now.

I hung up the phone.

No. I shut my eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Any hope that had been left was snatched away. The ragged hole raged now spewing pain and bending me over. I grasped at the corner of the building for support.

There was only one alternative now. I had to leave this place as soon as possible. I couldn't take being here anymore, being alive anymore.

I turned to leave and saw to dark eyes staring back at me.

"hello Edward" It was Alice


	3. salvation

"Alice", I glared at her as I spat out her name with as much venom as I could manage. 

"Edward, she's alive. Just calm down and I'll explain."

_"Please Edward",_ she thought.

"I... don't believe you" She probably was just saying that to keep me distracted until the rest of them could meet up here. "I just called her house and someone said that Charlie was at her funeral!"

"What exactly did they say, they didn't say Bella's funeral did they" She looked puzzled by my response. _"Stupid wolf boy, I'll bet you a bright yellow Porshe it was him!"_ She thought again

"Wolf boy? Wait, what are you talking about"

When I read her thoughts this time, it was a frenzy of conversations she had had with Charlie, Bella, and a tall dark skinned boy. One of the Quilluetts. Bella had been spending her time with a werewolf! How had Bella managed to find the one creature around that was possibly more dangerous than a vampire! I felt like smacking my forehead with the palm of my hand.

"Edward, you really hurt her." Alice whispered. "I couldn't believe what she looked like when I saw her. It's like there was nothing there. And the worst part is that Charlie had actually told me that she had been doing well."

A vision of Bella's pale white face flashed through Alice's mind. I grimaced at what I saw. She was right, Bella looked awful. She was still beautiful of coarse, but different, lifeless somehow. Her eyes seemed to be dead. They were missing there normal piercing intensity. Instead they looked flat, nothing behind them.

Then Charlie's conversation with Alice once again ran through Alice's mind. I couldn't believe what I heard. What had I done to her.

I covered my face with my hands and let a soft cry escape from my chest.

"So, she is alive"

"Yes" I could see the relief was there for her too. "Apparently, I can't foresee werewolves, and since this Jacob is who pulled her out, that explains why I didn't see Bella come back up after her jump.

"Bella say's that this whole cliff diving thing was purely for recreation, but I don't know. After seeing what she looked like and talking to Charlie..." She let the rest trail off.

I just stared at her completely lost for words.

"There's something else Edward, Victoria has been in Forks. She sent Laurant after Bella, but the wolves got him so she is now taking matters into her own hands. Apparently she is holding a grudge after what we did to James.

"What have I done" I asked her.

"I don't know, but I think that it should be clear now that keeping you two separated is clearly not helping anything."

Alice then looked down at her watch. "Listen Edward, I have got to get back to Bella, I don't know what she'll do if I stay away for too long."

"If you want, I can leave tonight. I'll tell her I've got to go hunting or something. Then you can see her for yourself."

"I don't know what to do, how can I ever make it up to her" My fists were balling up and relaxing at my side while I shook my head from side to side.

Then Alice came up to me pulling me into an Emmett sized bear hug. "It'll be alright, You'll work it out. She still loves you you know." She then kissed me on my cheek and was gone. Some nearby bushes were gently fluttering from her passing.

I waited until later that night to go to Bella's house. I could hear Alice's bell like laugh coming from the front room. Then I saw her come out onto the front porch with her arm wrapped around a tiny fragile looking figure. Bella. She looked like she had lost some weight, which on her tiny frame went a long way. Her hair had gotten a little longer, maybe darker, but that could just have been the night's illusion.

Then I heard her laugh as Alice pulled her into a gentle embrace. It was almost more than I could take. I needed her. I wanted to be the one there with her, holding her in my icy arms. I felt crazy, trying to restrain myself from running to her.

Then Alice was getting in Carlisle's Mercedes and pulling away. I saw Bella give a sigh as she bent her head and walked back into the house.

I waited outside for Bella and Charlie to finally go to sleep. While I was waiting I looked around at my surroundings. I saw the pathway into the forest where I had broke both our hearts. It was dark and foreboding, the menacing branches outstretched toward me. As the breeze caught them they started to move, their tallon like claws beckoning me in. I thought of Bella's reaction on that fateful day. I shuddered as I thought about how quickly she had accepted my lie. I was sure that I would have had to sit and argue with her all afternoon before I would finally have been able to convince her.

"I was a fool." I said it out loud to myself.

By this time the lights in the house were all off, I could hear Charlie's gentle snoring resonating from the house somewhere. Probably from his post by the TV downstairs.

This was it. I could hardly contain myself as I climbed the tree by Bella's window. I silently opened it and entered her room.

Her smell hit me at once swirling around my head and intoxicating me. I felt dizzy with pleasure as I shut my eyes. I wanted to savor every bit of her.

I crept over to the bed where she lay sleeping quietly. My eyes softened and I chuckled to myself as I watched her softly muttering in her sleep. I looked at her hair tousled gently around her delicate face. I stretched out a finger to caress a strand of hair that was laying over her eye. Her nose twitched as I touched it. Sometimes I forgot how cold I was to her. I glanced over at her floor boards to the spot where I had stashed her stuff. I walked over and opened it taking out the CD, pictures and plane tickets. It was juvenile to have taken her things like this. It was even worse that I had hidden them in her room. I held up the picture of the two of us. She was so beautiful. I traced her lips and her jaw with my finger. I stopped as I reflected on my hardened expression. Juvenile.

Bella stirred and rolled over, flopping her arm over the side of her bed and sticking her butt up into the air. Again I chuckled to myself. I had so many fond memories of watching her sleep at night. She had ended up upside down on her bed more than few nights. I had even had to catch her twice as she had actually rolled off the bed, almost hitting her delicate head on the floor.

"Edward." she sighed.

I froze instantly.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Please don't leave me." She said

I flinched, "I'm sorry too," I whispered.

"I love you Edward, I need you."

I walked over to her bead gently placing my hand on the side of her face. "I love you too Bella." I whispered into her ear. Then without thinking I bent my head down to her face and kissed her warm lips.

Bella sat up wide awake. Her fingers touching her mouth. She looked around but I was already outside. Then she looked down at the foot of her bed. Realization dawned as I watched her pick up the picture of us standing together awkwardly. She stared at it eyes wide and then looked around again desperately searching for , I knew, me. Then she wrapped her arms around her chest and began to cry.


	4. Finally

I couldn't sit out here anymore. Why had I left? The truth was that I was afraid to see her again. What if she didn't want me anymore. What if she couldn't forgive what I had done to her. I was a gutless coward. 

I stood up to go back to Bella. What would I say to her? It didn't matter, I would just go in there and if I couldn't think of anything... well, maybe she would start first, scream at me or something.

A draft of cold air swept up along my back, my eyes widened in terror. Damnit! I ducked just in time to watch an enormous red wolf dive over my head. What the Hell. That was close.

I lowered myself into a crouch as I sniffed the air trying to see where that thing had landed. "Where are you hiding pup?" I asked as I glared into the darkness. A low growl was growing in the pit of my chest intensifying as I looked around. The large mass rushed at me again, white razor sharp teeth lunging towards my throat. I grabbed the beast by it's muzzle and threw it hard against a tree, we smashed threw it and landed against another larger one. The wolf fiercely squirmed as I clutched at its muzzle with one hand and it's throat with the other.

"What do you want" I snarled while baring my own set of dangerous white teeth.

_"Edward?"_ The wolf thought in it's mind.

"What are you doing here pup, you are not aloud on this land while we are here."

_"I saw the small bloodsucker take off into the woods this evening and wanted to make sure nothing happened to Bella."_

"Well, as you can see, she isn't alone is she." I growled back at him

_"What in the Hell are you doing here anyway! Did you hear that Bella was surviving and so you decided to come back to finish her off?"_ I flinched as the wolf thought of Bella standing there asking him to help her with a pair of motorcycles that needed to be renovated. She was a mess, I could now see why Charlie had said that she had been improved.

"That isn"t any of your business, is it." I tightened my hold on the wolf, this time drawing blood. "You're Jacob Black, aren't you."

The wolfs eyes widened in surprise. "I"ll take that as a yes."

Jacob squirmed again trying to free himself from my grasp. _"You should leave now, Bella's happy. I've got plans."_

"Go home Jacob. I can take care of her now. Go back and tell your pack of mangy dogs the big bad vampires are back." I growled again.

We both turned as we heard the sound of Bella's voice call out from the darkness. "Jake" Bella hissed "are you out there? You had better quiet down, your gonna wake up Charlie!" I slackened my grip. "Jake?" She said again.

I turned again to face Jacob, but he had gotten free, already disappearing into the cover of night.

Bella shut the window, turning around and muttering to herself "I swear Jake, if you are messing with me I'm gonna rip your tail off and shove it right up your"

"Bella?" I was now face to face with her. Her mouth had frozen into a little "O" of shock. Then she fainted.

"Bella, Bella?" I was starting to panic now. I gently shook her while holding her on my lap. "Bella, wake up."

"Edward?" she croaked as she started to come back to me. "Edward, you're here?Why? What are you doing here?"

"Yes Bella, I'm here, are you alright?" I softly pleaded.

"Why are you here? Am I hallucinating?" She furrowed her eyebrows, then realization crossed her face. "I'm dead aren't I! Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap. I really did drown didn't I. I've just been making all of this up in my head the whole time, Alice, you. I can't believe I'm dead. Charlie's gonna kill me!"

"Bella, don't be silly." I rolled my eyes "Your just fine, I'm here."

I stopped and looked into her perfect deep eyes. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. Sorry for everything. I've been such a fool!"

"You..can't..be...real." Her head drooped, "You don't want me anymore. You don't love me." Her eyes glistened and she began clutching her chest again.

"I'm sorry Bella, so, so sorry. I lied. I thought that it was the only way to keep you safe. After what happened with James. I don't think I ever really got over that; all I was doing was putting you in danger, time and again. And then on your birthday." I rubbed my forehead. "I saw what it was doing to you and I couldn't stand to have anything else happen, so I left."

She sat up in my arms, looking at me in astonishment. Then she slowly reached out for my face, stroking her fingers along my temple down to my cheek.

"I thought that you didn't love me." she said simply.

I took her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips holding it there kissing it and breathing in it's sweet aroma. "I didn't know how else to leave. I thought that if you thought I didn't want you anymore, you'd move on. You could be happy. I was wrong Bella, I lied. I'm a good liar, but that," I shook my head, "It was the blackest kind of blasphemy."

She sat there squinting her eyes at me, as if she were trying to decide something. "I think... subconsciously, I always knew." She said. Then she explained how she had been risking her life again and again because she could hear my voice when she did.

"You almost killed yourself so that you could hear my voice?" I couldn't believe Bella would ever do something like that, especially with how prone to injury she was! "It's a miracle you actually are alive, you know that, what with your track record and all."

She slapped my chest. I was waiting for her to stick her tongue out at me.

"I love you Bella, I always have and I always will. There is no point to my life without you in it." Then I kissed her, firmly crushing her mouth to mine. My hands circled around her sides down to her back, pulling her even closer to me than before. She opened her mouth, tracing my bottom lip with her tongue. A rush of heat ran up my spine and into my chest. I touched the exposed skin around her stomach with my icy fingers and she moaned softly as I hesitated just under her belly button. Then bringing my head lower, I began to kiss the hollow of her neck. Her fragrance hitting me in waves and driving me wild. Her body got warmer and I could hear her heart beat quicken.

"I love you Bella Swan, forever"

"I love you too Edward."

I rolled her onto her side and gently tucked the blankets around her barricading her from the cold of my skin. We laid there all night talking until she finally fell asleep. I was home.


	5. the nightmare

I watched Bella while she slept, absentmindedly twisting a strand of her hair around my finger. She looked very peaceful. Things felt almost normal again, just the way they had always been. I looked down as she started mumbling to herself. This was by far my favorite part of staying over. I loved hearing her talking to herself. It was the closest I could get to understanding what she was really thinking. I chuckled to myself as she started saying something about spaghetti, and an then about an old cat that had made her trip on the way into the sporting goods store where she worked. She said my name. A thrill of pleasure shot up my spine as I listened to her mutter Edward over and over. Then I watched her brows furrow together and the word Edward became more urgent, almost pleading. I released my hold around her waist just enough to allow her to roll onto her side. 

"Edward, Edward please!" She started a little louder this time. "Edward no, please no." Her face tensed , her eyes closing even tighter together. A single tear appeared slowly rolling down her cheek. I started to get alarmed.

"Bella, it's okay" I whispered into her ear while I rubbed her arms and back, trying to sooth her.

"Edward don't leave, please not again." Another tear welled up at the corner of her eye. I gently wiped it away.

"Bella, I'm here, it's okay Bella"

She clutched at my shirt wildly. "Edward please, I don't care. I need you. Don't leave me."

I didn't know what to do or how to calm her nightmare. "Edward, you'll kill me this time, I won't survive it!"

I realized this was no nightmare. After how well everything had gone tonight, Bella still didn't trust me. She was going to be waiting for me to leave her again. I desperately racked my brain trying to come up with an answer. Somehow I had to make her see that I was here for good. I didn't know what to do. Perhaps with time? I thought. This was torture.

Then Bella's nightmare came to a climax as she scrame . The most horrific, bloodcurdling thing I had ever heard. I dashed to the closet as Charlie came bursting through the bedroom door.

"Bells, wake up" He said as he roughly shook her.

"Edward-- Charlie?" Bella said as she woke. "Dad?"

"It's okay Bells. You were just having a nightmare" Charlie brushed her hair from her eyes.

I stepped back slightly as Charlie's memories washed through his mind. I was abhorred, apparently this was a common occurrence.

Charlie calmed and oriented Bella, then after getting her a glass of water , he stumbled back to bed.

Bella looked around wildly trying to see if I had gone, but I was already at her side.

"Are you okay Bella?" I tried to find her eyes but she wouldn't meet my gaze.

"Mmm hmm" She said, looking at her water.

"You know you drive me crazy when you do that." I said as I lifted her chin up to mine with a long icy finger.

"I'm fine, really. Just a bad dream is all." She smiled at me but it didn't touch her eyes.

I didn't know what to say to her or how to comfort her. Instead I gathered her up in my arms and tucked her head beneath my chin, holding her as tightly as I dared. I kissed the top of her head twice. "I love you Bella."

"I know you do." She mumbled into my chest.

Then I rocked her until she fell back to sleep.


	6. Visitors

Bella awoke to me still holding her in the rocking chair that sat in the corner of her room. I had rocked her all night humming my lullaby over and over. 

"Good morning sleepy" I flashed her one of my heart-stopping smiles that I knew she loved. Then tracing her eyebrows, nose and lips asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm" she said as she shut her eyes and stretched out across my lap. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed it.

"Thank you. What was that for." I kissed the top of her head.

"Oh, just for being you" She smiled and then kissed my neck again. "Is Charlie still here?"

"He left about half an hour ago actually. I believe he was talking to someone about bringing donuts over to the Clearwater family?"

"Oh, yeah. Harry Clearwater died a few days ago. Charlie has been having a rough time with it."

Of course "That would explain why he was at a funeral yesterday." What are the odds.

Bella jumped up off my lap and stretched again. "Can you hold on just for a second-- human moment." She walked out of her room, then peaking her head back in the door said, "Don't move, I mean it!" She eyed me sternly while placing both of her hands out in front of her.

"Yes maam." I put two fingers to my forehead in a mock salute. Then I heard her footsteps thunder down the hallway, running as fast as she could to the bathroom.

Amazing, I didn't think that Bella could run that far without tripping. I chuckled to myself. I listened to her start the shower water. Heat instantly rushed up to my chest. I turned to look at the plethora of weathered books piled on her desk, trying to distract myself from the visions I was having of Bella in the shower. I held up a dog-eared copy of Pride and Prejudice. The cover had actually started coming undone from the spine and the back was completely missing. I would definitely have to replace some of these for her.

"What are you looking at?" Bella asked as she walked back over to me, drying her hair with a towel.

I held the book out like it was a dead mouse, "When are you going to burry some of these?"

"Hey!" She snatched the book from me. "Have some respect would you. These things are barely hanging in there as it is!"

I took the book and placed it back in the pile, then I scooped her up in my lap. "You smell delicious." I said, eyeing her darkly and grinning.

"Bad vampire, down!" She joked

I flashed her a menacing smile and growled playfully at her. She jumped off of my lap and ran around to the side of her bed giggling. "Delicious" I growled again. Then sprang forward grabbing her and pinning her arms to the bed. I smelled her neck tracing my nose from her collar bone up to just under her ear. Then I put my lips around the bottom of her ear lobe.

I looked up and saw that her arms were covered in goose bumps, and her cheeks were flushed. "That's quite a lovely effect" I mused more than a little pleased with myself. Then I let her sit up next to me on the bed still holding her wrists. "So why don't we go down stairs and get you some breakfast." I winked at her.

"Sure." She stood up while still holding my hands and pulled me off of the bed.

Down in the kitchen, Bella grabbed a bowl and spoon from the yellow cabinets. After sitting them on the table she walked over and got a box of her favorite cereal. The stuff always looked horrible to me. I wrinkled my nose, it looked like processed cardboard. I got the milk out of the refrigerator and poured some over her cereal.

"So, what should we do today?" I asked, rubbing her knee absentmindedly.

"Um, I don't know. Is Alice going to be back soon? Maybe we could all hang out. Do you want to go ransack some villagers, I could go get my pitchfork."

"Very amusing" I rolled my eyes.

The phone rang. "Hello" Bella answered. It was the same male voice I had heard yesterday morning. The voice that I now knew belonged to Jacob Black.

"Bella, umm--how are you?" I could hear their conversation quite easily.

"I'm fine Jake. What's up?"

"Oh, you know, I'm just dealing with the fact that my best friend is hanging out with a bunch of bloodsucking leeches."

Bella gave me an aspirating look. "Jake look, I told you already, the Cullen's aren't like that."

"Whatever Bella, I was just calling to make sure you were alright. Um, also, I needed to tell you something."

"What's wrong Jake, did you find Victoria?"

"No, I think that she's run off for now, her sent ended just outside of Seattle. It's something else. We think that there might be more of them here now."

"Oh, well, that's probably just the rest of Edward's family"

"So, they really are coming back to Forks then." He paused for a long moment. "I guess you've seen Edward then, hu."

I clutched the table roughly with my hands. I could already tell where this was going.

"Yes" Was all Bella said.

"Well, that's just great then." His voice was full of sarcasm "And you're going to take him back, just like that."

"Jake, don't be that way." Bella pleaded

"What way! Bella, he's all wrong for you. You"re just gonna end up hurt again, please don't do this."

"Look Jake, I love him, we've worked it out and things are fine."

"You're wrong Bella, he'll leave again. He's bad for you."

"You know what Jacob, it's none of your business anyway, so just butt out okay!"

"Fine, Bella. I hope that you don't end up dead, or worse." The pain in the last words was evident, and I knew right away what he meant by them.

Bella turned around, completely flustered. "He hung up on me! Arg!" She jammed the phone back into it's receiver.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that."

"It's okay, It's not like I don't deserve it" I walked over and hugged her, placing my chin on top of her head."

"I feel horrible that I've hurt him. I just don't know what to do to make things better." Bella sighed and shook her head.

I completely know what you mean, I thought to myself. Then I turned her around and put the full intensity of my eyes on her. "It'll be okay." Gently grasping her face between my hands I kissed her once on her mouth.

_Edward is going to completely flip out!_ I heard a familiar voice just outside the front door.

"Alice is here Bella." I towed her over to the door. Opening it I saw Alice's face full of worry.

"Edward, we've got visitors."


	7. Irina

"Perhaps," I gave Alice my deadliest glare, "we should talk about this some other time." I gritted my teeth together. I already knew what she had come here to say, I had seen her vision on my way to the door. I didn't want Bella getting herself worked up, at least until we knew that she really was in significant danger. 

"Oh, don't be stupid Edward" Bella tried shoving me out of the way, I stepped lightly aside, still eyeing Alice darkly. "Alice, come in, did you see something?"

Alice wasn't phased at all by my warning glances as she danced over to Charlie's couch and sat down right next to Bella. I gave out a deep breath, or rather more of a hiss, and stalked over to the chair slumping down into it and resting my chin on an angry balled up fist. I focused on looking at the small grouping of pictures hanging up on the wall over the television.

"Bella," Alice said, "wow, it really is great to see you again. You have no idea how much I've missed you!" She gently brushed the hair away from Bella's face. "Being gone--it felt like I had lost a sister."

Bella smiled and then looked down overcome with emotion.

"Uh hum," I growled at Alice.

"Oh, right. I suppose I should just get down to business then." Alice patted the back of Bella's hand. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, Bella. You know that after Laurent left, he went up to Denali?" I saw Bella stiffen next to Alice at the sound of Laurent's name. Alice glanced over at me warily, "um, anyway, when he got there, he kind of had a fling with one of the females. Irina, I believe that was her name. Well Laurent was there for almost a year you know-- until he left," Alice was looking at me again, obviously uncomfortable with bringing up Laurent's return to Forks.

"Alice, you don't have to worry about scaring me" Bella reassured her, she smiled and said, "just spit it out."

"It's not you I'm worried about" Alice muttered under her breath. I smiled at the fact that Alice was so uncomfortable. "Well, okay. When Laurent got there, he was kind of spying on our family for James and Victoria. After James was killed, Victoria was furious and wanted revenge. She had Laurent get as much dirt on us as possible, trying to find out anything that could help her get back at us. As I said before, Laurent had been involved with Irina, and while he was just using her, Irina fell in love. Laurent had told Irina just enough to let her know what was going on with the whole James situation. He also told her when James had died. Unfortunatley,she was sympathetic to him. He was furious and decided to leave Denali. It broke Irina's heart."

Bella had been watching Alice intensely, nodding her head as each part of the story clicked together in her head. "Then what?" Bella whispered.

"Well, you can imagine what it was like for her when she found out that Laurent had been killed by the werewolves. She was hysterical. Instantly, she thought of our family, of the trouble we had caused because of --you." Alice cringed while peeking sideways at Bella, but she seemed unaffected. "She wanted revenge herself and decided to go to Italy."

"She went to the Volturi didn't she," Alice nodded, "and now there coming here." Bella inhaled and put a hand to her trembling lips. "Edward told me about them." I was at her side immediately, rubbing her back and shoulders, trying to soothe her.

"No one is going to hurt you Bella. We are going to take care of things okay." I tried to get her to look at me, but she refused to meet my gaze.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? You're just on clean up duty?" Alice and I both jumped back, startled by her assumption.

"No Bella, no. Look at me!" My voice jumped, almost hysterical. "Alice only just found out about it this morning, I swear. Bella, I love you, we love you" Still she wouldn't look at me.

"Bella" Alice gently pleaded. "We aren't going anywhere. Carlisle and Esme are away hunting or they would be here now. Emmett and Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and me. We are here to stay. Everyone will be here within the week. We're back Bella."

Bella looked up at Alice's face, scrutinizing it. "You're staying" all of you?" Bella turned and looked at me now.

Relief instantly washed over me. "Yes."

We sat there in silence for a moment before Bella spoke again. "So what happens now?"

I spoke this time. "The Volturi will arrive very soon. It is against our rules for humans to know about our existence. As soon as Alice is able to nail down an exact timeline, we will be able to do more--get you out of harm's way."

"I need to call Jake," Bella said. "The pack should be prepared."

"I don't know, the Volturi aren't precisely aware of the existence of werewolves here, and I think it would probably be for the best if they didn't find out."

"But what happens when they catch there scent?" All the color instantly drained from Bella's face

"What is it Bella" I was getting alarmed

"Jake" She whispered "He said that they found a new sent, I thought that it was just your family, but Edward, they are already here!"

At that moment, I wished more than anything that Jasper had been around to calm everyone. I racked my brains trying, to come up with something . "We've got to get her out, Alice." Alice's face was frozen in terror. "Alice, we've got to leave. I doubt that the Volturi will harm anyone in the town, their rules and all, but Charlie could be in serious danger if they come looking for us here."

"Charlie! We can't leave him alone, what if they come here first." She ran to the kitchen, picking up the phone and dialing. "Jake! Come on Jake pick up!"

I tried to stop her but Alice caught my arm. Wait Edward, this might actually work. Though... I hate not being able to know for sure.

Bella explained to Jacob that she had to leave and that she thought Charlie would be in danger. She begged him to keep an eye on him for her, and then after ignoring his pleas to not go, thanked him and hung up.

I grabbed Bella, cradling my arms around her soft fragile body. I could see that she was already starting to come undone. She was shaking like a leaf and her eyes were beginning to well up with tears. "Let's go Bella, we'll find a room in Port Angeles, and once you're safe, we can come up with a plan." I held her chin up with my finger forcing her to look into my eyes. I could feel her body start to relax a little as my breath hit her face. Stroking her hair with one hand, I bent my head and kissed her warm lips. I could smell the blood rush up her face filling her lips as she kissed me back. My breathing picked up and I heard, _Oh get a room, would you Edward._ I smiled as I glanced over at Alice standing by the door, looking up at the ceiling, pretending she was going to gag.

"Come on Bella, it's time to go."


End file.
